Recent Comments

California awards $200M to cut diesel emissions

The California Air Resources Board on June 24 awarded $200 million in Proposition 1B funds to cut emissions from heavy-duty trucks and other sources in the state’s four busiest trade corridors.

The Los Angeles/Inland Empire, Central Valley, Bay Area and San Diego/Border regions received the Proposition 1B funds approved by voters in 2006. Previous Proposition 1B funds in 2008 provided $246 million to local agencies putting more than 5,000 cleaner trucks on the state’s roads.

The trade corridors to receive funding are $110 million for Los Angeles/Inland Empire, $55.5 million for Central Valley and $31 million for both the Bay Area and San Diego/Border regions. The recommended distribution of the $200 million among the four trade corridors is based on program guidelines adopted in March.

The money will be used to reduce emissions from heavy-duty diesel trucks, locomotives and railyards, ship berths, cargo equipment and commercial harbor craft such as tugboats and crew and supply vessels.

The $200 million will be distributed to the following projects: $112 million for diesel truck upgrades, $81 million for ships at berth and cargo handling projects, $6 million for freight locomotive projects, and $500,000 for harbor craft projects. Projects include truck grants that will help owner-operators and others comply early with the statewide truck rule adopted in 2008.

The newly funded projects are estimated to reduce emissions by more than 29,000 tons of nitrogen oxides and more than 600 tons of particulate matter over the life of the project.